Amen to that sister. I was most happy in my life when I was consumed with doing something I believed in and that made sense to me, even though the external circumstances appeared superficially stressful. Nowadays, unfortunately, the passage of time weighs heavily on my meaningless activities. Lately, though, I've been reading Emerson on the "Over-soul," and that helps put things in perspective.

But I think the point of your post was that people should attend to what they're doing and why they're doing it, and if what they're doing doesn't make sense they should do something else that does make sense. I'm working on that, but I do think that in this crazy mixed up world doing something that actually makes sense isn't quite as easy as it sounds.

Maybe there's some kind of career in getting people lined up properly...not merely about work or personal matters, but the coordination of both to your greatest happiness...something like 'life aligner', something like that...

But I would love to hear what your crowd thinks of the debacle in Tibet.

It's a perfect chance to denounce the Maoism of Tel Quel and of the 70s Legal Studies crowd, too.

Even Simone de Beauvoir was a Maoist -- who wrote a massive book on the Chinese Revolution which is a kind of blueprint for the whole feminist operation. Even Julia Kristeva wrote a positive book called Chinese Women, which ended with a glorification of Mao's Cultural Revolution.

Isn't this why you have turned a bit more conservative since you are sickened by the PC elements of the CCP?

blake said..."Watch out there, Ann, you come very close to suggesting that some (homo)sexual behavior might be compulsive in nature."

I think much sexual behavior is compulsive. Everyone knows that. I'm simply saying that people should pay attention to what they are doing, understand why, and believe that it makes sense. If you are having sex that you don't really want, you are mistreating yourself -- I would say raping yourself.

I generally don't put much time or energy in meeting most people. I wasn't really "looking" last night just having a good time with friends and this all happened very quickly.

I generally don't go "searching" for sex but am always aware of my surroundings and know that may be an option. It never gets in the way of me doing something. We are surrounded by sex and options. I just tend to grab them when presented.

This particular person I met as I was leaving the bar and we jumped into a cab together within 2 minutes.

I was dancing with a big black guy most of the night that my friends said was 1 foot taller than me and twice as wide (in a good way). But somehow I ditched him and ran into a cab with this other one.

I am not talking about rationalization, since I'm talking about "the stress people feel" from "unattended-to knowledge," which is, essentially intuition. I'm saying pay attention to how you really feel about what you are doing, that it is a sign that what you are doing doesn't really make sense to you. The fact that you can rationalize it when you start to think about it doesn't mean it really makes sense to you.

For example, when called on it, Titus will try to explain his behavior. Whether it actually makes sense to him is something else altogether.

My behavior does not make sense to me. I understand I have issues regarding intimacy. Probably for the fleeting moment of sex I know someone wants me, desires me, wants to be me-that's the easy part. The difficult part is someone being with me longer than 30 minutes. That's when it gets difficult. Then they can judge me, find my faults, and finally reject me-that's when I would fall apart. The thought of rejection is powerful and devastating. Then I question everything about me.

A fleeting sexual experience allows me the opportunity to not be rejected and is safe.

The Similarity between Modern Internet Writings, ſuch as this, your Theatre of Topicks (as I call it), and many of the Papers or Periodicals of my Century, has been much remark'd upon. They both often have been the Productions of a ſingle Individual, writing in his Pyjamas, as 'tis ſaid of the Modern Internet Author; or lock'd in a Garret, common in my Age.

As the Ghoſt of a Perſon dead these 250 Years and more, I have ſeen many a Scribbler ſtarve in a Garret. That Modern Knights-Errant of the Internet, riding up & down the Computer Keyboard, would ſtarve in their Pyjamas should cause no Surpriſe; for ‘tis in the Nature of Writers to lie & ſtarve. Hunger may no longer haunt the pamper'd Modern News-Writer; Lying, in its turn, continues unabated.

The News-Writers Couſin, the Writer on Politicks & of Short Pieces ſtarves yet, unless ſhelter'd under Publiſher's Bowers; for He is moſtly conſign'd to giving away his Writing on the Internet, in vain Hopes ſome paltry Advertiſements should pay Him a few Pennies. In may Day, many a Writer ſtarted a Paper to attract the Publick to his Poems & Books, which would ſupport him better, and to Flatter some Perſon of Quality, or tell Lies for a Faction, whose Generoſity or Preferment the Author would expect.

Some Few made an entire Living from the Paper. Thus, Mr. Addiſon ſays, in the Tenth Number of the Spectator, there were three thouſand Copies distribut'd every Day. If the Author receives an Ha'penny per Copy for his Trouble, and writes ſix Times a Week, He may expect a Profit of £6/5, or £325 per annum, certainly enough to keepthe Author from Starvation; and that in an Age when £50 a Year were enough to keep entire Families above the Fear of Want. Mr. Addiſon ſhared the Production of his Paper with Mr. Steele and occasional Others; but Mr. Addiſon wrote above two-thirds of them, and their Sale sometimes reached 17,000 Copies, so You may see that Mr. Addiſon and his Friends were Scribblers long since come down from Garrets.

'Tis leſs clear that any Modern Keyboard Pounder ſhould cast off his Pyjamas so profitably. Thoſs of Us your Admirers, Madam, await any Intelligence with which You may favour Us, upon Methods to increaſe the Revenue of this, your Theatre of Topicks; or whether We would expect that only Fame & Satisfaction should accrue to the impreſſaria of such a Venture. I aſk not a disinterest'd Queſtion, Madam, for I must tell You that I have given ſome Thought to opening my own Theatre.

With ev'ry beſt Wish that both your Fame & Fortune should increaſe, I remain,